Tera Jadoo Chal Gayaa

That doesn8217;t stop her from having a ball in life, incidentally. Begging a few days off from work to attend a friend8217;s shaadi in Agra, Pooja packs her bags and heads off for a visit to the city of the Taj Mahal. There she meets Kabir Abhishek Bachchan, a strapping six-foot-something video cameraman who finds himself smitten by her the moment he spots her. Mistaking her friendship for affection, Kabir allows himself to dream of marrying her someday. But Pooja, quite naturally, has bigger plans chalked out for herself.

Predictably, Pooja returns to good ol8217; Mumbai, unaware that she has found an admirer in Kabir. Back to work later than she had promised, she8217;s at the verge of losing her job, when a co-worker Johnny Lever in one of his most atrocious roles ever bails her out by lying to their boss that the delay in her arrival was only because she got engaged in Agra. Using photographs of Pooja and Kabir together as evidence to this lie, her colleague saves her job. Pooja ain8217;t too pleased about this, but realises it can8217;t do much harm since Kabir isn8217;t likely to come to Mumbai, and besides, it did help get her the job back after all.

Of course, things can8217;t go so smoothly forever, can they? Just when her life finally seems all sorted out, Kabir arrives in the city of dreams to tell Pooja of his love for her. And that8217;s not all. Pooja, who is as yet unaware that Kabir has come searching for her, seems to have found her Dream Date in her boss8217; good-looking son Raj remember Sanjay Suri from Pyaar Mein Kabhi Kabhi? Only, he thinks she8217;s attached. Wot to do now? Cleverly, Pooja asks Kabir himself to help her out.

Not a terrible story you would think. And it really isn8217;t, but able direction might have helped elevate the film to a higher level, certainly. Director Muthu, evidently high under the influence of mentor David Dhawan, relies on a cliched screenplay, and entirely unoriginal ideas. On the positive side, the film has a lavish look, splendid camerawork gosh, those lush European locales! and top of the line music. Ismail Darbar follows up his Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam score with yet another winner. Almost each of his eight tracks are memorable and applaud-worthy. But alas, they8217;re poorly used in the film, arriving at every available opportunity, often too close on the heels of each other.

Keerthi Reddy, the waif-like debutant to Hindi movies, deserves full marks for looking adorable on screen. In the histrionics department, however, she has a long way to go. Raw, and mostly under-directed, Reddy needs to be trained under a more experienced hand before she can display her true potential on camera. Meanwhile, if there8217;s one reason you sit glued to your seats through these three long hours, it8217;s Abhishek Bachchan, who lets his hair down, loses his inhibitions, and shows his stuff. In clear contrast to his role in Refugee

, Abhishek carries off lighter stuff with equal ease. The young actor doesn8217;t once flinch even when participating in some of the film8217;s more unconvincing scenes, thus proving that the mark of a good actor lies in appearing comfortable even in the most embarrassing of situations on-screen. He consistently reminds you of his father, especially in those trademark UP-type songs and maara-maari sequences. A tad overweight, but one can safely predict that withtime, he will shine.

You leave the movie with mixed feelings. Despite the weak climax, there8217;s enough in it for mass appeal. But pray, when can we expect a movie which will please just about everyone?